From The Expert
by ravengal
Summary: [Sequel to From The Heart] After saving yet another PokePark, Pikachu's ready to go back to the first one and see Buneary again... but Oshawott has other plans. He needs the mouse's help with something first... and the target is Snivy. PikaBun, OshaSni
1. Request

Author's note: Well, howdy! Here's the promised sequel to my other fic, From The Heart.

... Yes, I know what you're thinking. _Oshawott/Snivy_? Well, I don't really know how I feel about the anime pairing, but I can say, with certainty, that I really like the PokePark pairing.

Also, yes, this fic takes place _after_ the events of PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. I'm going to try not to spoil too much, as this game actually does have some pretty big spoilers, but there _will_ be the odd few. **Read at your own risk.**

And no, I don't currently know how long the fic will be. I'd hazard a guess at around the same length as the other fic.

Anyway... without further ado... I give you the shellPWNageshipping sequel.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One: Request**

Despite it nearing the end of the summer months, it was a fairly warm day in the PokePark. Pikachu and his four friends, Piplup, Oshawott, Snivy and Tepig, were lounging on Seasong Beach, just watching the world go by around them. Pikachu, Piplup and Oshawott were all sitting up, Snivy was lying on her back and Tepig was lying on his front.

"So, you two will be leaving soon, huh?" Oshawott asked, turning to Pikachu and Piplup.

Pikachu smiled sadly. "Yeah, sorry," he replied.

"It's a real shame you can't stay," Tepig said.

"It's fun here," Piplup replied, "but we've been away for two months, so we should probably get back soon."

"Yeah..." Pikachu agreed, "it's been fun, though!"

"I should think _so_!" Snivy replied. She chuckled. "Seriously, though, it was a fun adventure. We should do it again, sometime!"

"Yeah, that'd be fun!"

"I especially liked kicking so much butt."

Oshawott smirked at her. "I'll bet you did," he said.

"Me too!" Tepig replied. "And I _really_ liked the new nickname we got after winning the Battle Tournament!" he said. He gave a triumphant grin. "The Shining Power Pals!"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool..." Snivy said. She waved a hand dismissively. "Much better than the Eco Pretties..."

"Or the Zappy Rowdies..." Pikachu added.

"Or even the Stormy Collectors..." Oshawott added.

Tepig beamed again. "_My_ personal favourite was the Thermo Gatherers!" he said.

"Really?" Snivy asked. "Mine was the Leafy Sprinters."

"Yeah?" Oshawott asked. "Well, mine was the Hydro Knockouts! It sounds powerful and intimidating!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Personally, I liked the Electro Aces," he said. "I thought it sounded cool."

"Wow..." Piplup said, "_all_ those names sound really cool! I just wish I'd been around to hear the Pokemon call you that..."

"Well, it wasn't _your_ fault you got stuck in Wish Park."

"Yeah, I know, but still..."

Tepig sighed. "I dunno what I'll do once you two go back..." he said. "There won't be much to do, except go back to Rockridge Fort and play with Victini..."

Pikachu smiled at him. "Well, maybe we can come back, someday," he replied. "I'd love to hang out with you guys again. The four of us make a great team!"

Oshawott, Snivy and Tepig all smiled back at him.

"You sure do!" Piplup agreed. "Hey and, next time we come, maybe you could bring Buneary!"

"Hey, yeah!"

"Buneary?" Snivy asked. "You mean the one in Windmill Way?"

"Nah... you don't know her."

"She's his mate back in the _other_ PokePark!" Piplup said.

Oshawott nearly fell over in shock. "_Wh-What_?" he asked.

Tepig blinked. "You have a mate?" he asked.

Pikachu blushed. "W-Well... yeah..." he replied.

"Oh ho _ho_~!" Snivy said, shifting onto her side to prop her head on her hand. "Why didn't you tell us about her _before_?"

"Well... I didn't really think it was important and no one asked..."

"Pikachu doesn't really like to brag..." Piplup said, "though I know _I _would, if _I_ were him."

"So, what's she like?" Tepig asked excitedly. "Is she nice?"

Pikachu smiled fondly. "Yeah, she's _really_ nice..." he replied.

Snivy smirked. "Does she cry all the time, like the one in Windmill Way?" she asked.

"Snivy!" Tepig scolded. "_You'd_ probably cry all the time, too, if you were constantly being bullied by a bunch of Pawniard..."

"Nah, I'd just kick their butts."

"She's really sweet and really kind..." Pikachu replied, "and no, she's not bullied, like the one in Windmill Way."

"Told you," Tepig said.

Snivy smiled. "Well, it sounds like you're happy with her," she said.

"Yeah, I am," Pikachu replied.

"... I think we should probably get going, before it gets dark," Piplup said. He stood up. "You coming, Pikachu?"

"Yeah." Pikachu stood up. "See you around, guys."

"See ya!" Snivy replied.

"Bye!" Tepig replied.

Pikachu turned and began to walk away with Piplup, in the direction of where the penguin had first landed their Pikachu balloon.

"Waaaait!" Oshawott cried.

Surprised, Pikachu stopped and turned to the otter, only to see that he was running towards them. "Oshawott?" he asked. Oshawott came to a stop in front of them. "What's wrong?"

"Can... Can I talk to you for a minute?" He glanced at Piplup. "Alone?"

The two childhood friends exhanged a glance. "Well... sure, I guess so, but-"

"Great!" Oshawott grabbed his paw and dragged him across the beach, far away from Piplup.

When they finally stopped, Pikachu looked at the otter. "What's wrong, Oshawott?"

Oshawott took a deep breath, glanced back at their friends, then looked at Pikachu with determination. "You said you have a mate, right?"

Pikachu blinked. "Well... yeah..."

Oshawott closed his eyes, folded his arms and nodded. "Okay, good, good... that means you're perfect for the job, then."

"... Job?"

Oshawott opened his eyes. "Yes." He paused for a long moment. "I need advice on something, but I wasn't sure who to ask."

"Oh?"

"And it had to be someone who already has a mate... but no one I really know has one."

"Well... you could have asked Krookodile or Darkrai..."

"No! Even though they're dating Audino and Gothitelle now, I'm not close enough to _either_ of them to ask _them_ for advice!"

"Oh... okay... so, what do you need help with?"

Oshawott closed his eyes, frowned and blushed. "Well..."

Pikachu blinked, then realisation hit him and his eyes widened. "You... like someone, don't you?"

Oshawott snapped his eyes open and flailed his arms around. "Shush! Not so loud..."

"Is it someone I know?"

"Well... kind of, but..." He paused. "Look, it's not important who it is! I just need advice on how to win her heart... _You've_ clearly done it, if you're dating this Buneary of yours... so I wanted to know how you did it."

Pikachu blinked stupidly at Oshawott, who seemed to be trying very hard not to lose his dignity over this. It was silly, really, since there was nothing wrong with liking someone.

He smiled. "Well, sure, I'd _love_ to help!" He paused. "But it might not be that easy..."

Oshawott blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well... I don't even know who you're trying to win the heart of... so it'd be a bit difficult to give you advice, when every Pokemon is different..."

Oshawott stared long and hard at him for a minute. "Darn it!" The exclamation made Pikachu jump. "Your logic is flawless. You should think about becoming a detective _yourself_..."

Pikachu chuckled awkwardly. "Well, thanks."

Oshawott took a deep breath, then slowly released it. "Okay... fine... I'll tell you, but you gotta promise not to breath a word to _anyone_! Okay?"

"Okay."

"_Promise_!"

Pikachu jumped again. "I-I promise!"

"Okay... well..." Oshawott glanced over at their friends. Looking away, he blushed again. "It's, um..." He mumbled something.

"Huh?" Oshawott mumbled slightly louder. "I can't hear you..."

Oshawott heaved a sigh. "It's, um..." He cleared his throat and looked away. "Snivy..."

Pikachu's eyes widened in shock. He really hadn't been expecting _that_, of all things. "_Snivy_?" He made sure to lower his voice. "You like _Snivy_?"

"Yeah, well... a lot happened in the last two months... I've grown really fond of her and... I wanna ask her to be my mate..." He glanced over at her, then quickly looked away again.

"Wow... I had no idea..."

"Of course you didn't! I wasn't just gonna blurt it out!" He paused, then started fidgeting. "I wanna ask her out, but... I have no idea how to do it... Man, I feel like an idiot..." The look he gave Pikachu looked quite pitiful. "Please help me..."

Pikachu blinked at him for a moment, then broke into a warm smile. "Of course I'll help you."

Oshawott beamed. "You _will_?"

Pikachu nodded. "Sure." He paused. "I mean..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I dunno how much use I'll be, but I can certainly give it a try!"

"You're the best, Pikachu!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Thanks." He lowered his paw. "Oh... and I guess I should tell Piplup that we'll be staying for a couple more days..."

"You'd stick around that long, just to help me?"

"Of course!" He paused. "I mean... I wanted to see my mate, but..."

"Hey, she'll manage a couple more days! The great Detective Oshawott needs your assistance!"

"Yeah, I... 'Detective Oshawott'?"

"Yup!"

"Since when did you call yourself _that_?"

"Since just now! It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I can't believe I didn't come up with it _sooner_!" Pikachu chuckled at him. "Alright, then! Let's go break the news to the others!" Oshawott began walking back when he shot Pikachu a look. "And remember... no telling!"

"I promise."

Oshawott beamed. "Good!" He continued walking back to the group.

Pikachu sighed and shook his head as he followed his friend. When he finally reached his other friends, he turned to Piplup, who had rejoined them while he waited.

"Hey, Piplup?"

Piplup smiled at him. "Ready to go now, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Actually... Oshawott needs my help with something, so I wanted to stay a couple more days."

Piplup's smile dropped. "Really? But... I thought you wanted to see Buneary again... and Charmander and Chikorita..."

"Well, yeah, but..." He glanced at Oshawott, who gave him a hard stare. He looked back at Piplup and tried to give him a smile. "Just a couple more days? Then we'll go back, I promise."

Piplup heaved a sigh. "Okay, okay..."

"So, you're staying?" Snivy asked, sitting up.

"Alright!" Tepig said, thrashing around happily in the sand. "Maybe we can play some more!"

Pikachu smiled. "Sure!" he replied.

"So, what's he helping you with, anyway, Oshawott?" Snivy asked.

Pikachu froze. Looking at Oshawott, he noticed that he, too, had frozen. Pikachu tried furiously to work his brain into coming up with a convincing story.

Suddenly, Oshawott chuckled. "The great Detective Oshawott has taken in Pikachu as his personal assistant, for a very important... and very personal... mission," he replied.

Snivy raised an eyebrow. "'Detective Oshawott'?"

"'Personal mission'?" Tepig asked.

Oshawott nodded confidently. "Yes!" he replied. "And, with Pikachu by my side, our mission will be over in no time flat!"

"... So, what's the mission?" Snivy asked.

"Can _we_ help?" Tepig asked.

"No!" Oshawott replied. "I just said that it's a very _personal_ mission!" He folded his arms. "Pikachu and Piplup may leave only when the mission is complete."

Snivy stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever, Sherlock," she said.

"Aww..." Tepig said sadly. "But I wanted to be an assistant, too!"

Oshawott folded his arms. "Well, too bad," he replied. "Electric mice only."

"That's no fair!"

"Take it up with Samurott."

"Why? What's Samurott gotta do with anything?"

"Everything, now shush."

"Did he give you the mission?"

"Maybe."

"So, why not share it?"

"'Cause I said it's personal!"

"You know..." Piplup said, turning to Pikachu, "I'm not too sad about staying here longer." He smiled. "I really like Seasong Beach!" He paused a moment. "Good luck with that mission, Pikachu... whatever it is. I'm sure you'll do great!"

Pikachu smiled back awkwardly. "Thanks, Piplup..." he replied.

Looking back at the bickering duo - as well as a smirking Snivy, who seemed to be enjoying the show - he couldn't help but wonder, not for the first time, just what he was getting himself into...


	2. Reasons

Author's note: Well, I'm here again! Hi!

No news this time, so just enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Reasons**

Oshawott lay on his back, staring up at the night sky. All around him, on the sand, his four friends were all sound asleep. He glanced sideways at Pikachu, going over in his head what they'd discussed earlier. His feelings for a certain Pokemon had been on his mind for a while, so it had been rather strange to finally share them with somebody. It _did_ feel like a wonderful burden off his shoulders, though. Averting his gaze slightly, he looked at Snivy, who was lying in a very unladylike heap. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was such a tomboy.

One could question exactly _why_ he had such a crush on the grass snake. He wouldn't blame them, really, as he could barely believe it himself. When he'd first met her, he really hadn't liked her all that much and had made no secret about it. He'd had a serious case to investigate at the time, which had most certainly been no laughing matter, and she'd seen the whole thing as an adventure - something to cure her boredom. That had greatly offended him, so he'd attempted to offend her back by calling her 'Greenie'. It didn't help that she'd been so sassy about the whole thing, either, refusing to help them until they pandered to her ideals. He'd gotten very annoyed when Pikachu had been so quick to let her join their team.

Then there'd been the issue of him thinking that she was a boy. That had been a little embarrassing, though understandable, considering her nature. When she'd laughed at his old fear of the dark, however - and had greatly embarrassed him by doing so - that had cemented his dislike of her.

Over their weeks of travelling together, though, something had changed. She'd soon found out just what they'd been dealing with and had learned to take it seriously, which had been nice, considering how useful she'd been to the team. She was fantastic at chase, she was strong in battle and she was great at jumping. The amount of times they'd needed her to winch them up high ledges on her vines had gotten a bit ridiculous.

She'd also, somewhere along the line, managed to help him cut loose a bit. It had taken his stubborn pride a while to admit that he'd _needed_ to cut loose, but, once it had finally relented, he'd enjoyed playing games with her when they hadn't been busy saving the PokePark. His favourite game had been holding onto one of her vines as she'd dashed around. This had been made even more fun by the fact that she was much faster than he was. The wind in his fur as he'd zoomed around had been incredible.

When the moment had come where he'd had to choose between risking _her_ safety or sacrificing _his_, he'd only had to think about it for a moment. Some might say that he'd been foolish, others might say that he'd been stupid, but, if given the chance again, he would do exactly the same thing. It was a shame that his sacrifice hadn't actually meant anything in the end, but it was the thought that had counted. He didn't regret trying to keep Snivy and the rest of his friends safe.

It was funny. In his younger days, he'd always assumed that he'd go for the classy girly girl - somewhere in the realm of Cinccino - yet here he was, planning to win the heart of a tomboy. One wouldn't think that she was the princess of the Arbor Area, the way she behaved.

No matter what it took, he would win her heart. Even if he had to move mountains and split seas, he would make Snivy his mate. There was no way he could fail! After all, he was the great Detective Oshawott, whose biggest inspiration and greatest idol was the famous Marowak detective of old: Sherlock Bones! To this day, no one knew why he'd called himself that, but it didn't matter! What _did_ matter was Oshawott's newest mission! With this thought in mind, he nodded proudly to himself, then turned over and closed his eyes, ready for the coming dawn.

* * *

Pikachu blinked awake and gazed at his surroundings. He appeared to be in a familiar bright green void, where he could see nothing around him for miles on end.

"Huh?" he asked.

Suddenly, a floating pink cat materialised in front of him. "Hey, Pikachu!" he said.

Pikachu blinked, then smiled. "Hey, Mew!"

Mew did a mid-air somesault. "It's _been_ a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has."

Suddenly, Celebi flew in from nowhere and began to circle Mew. "And, from what _we_ hear..." she said, pausing to float next to Mew, "you've been quite the busy Combee."

"Hi, Celebi! Aheh, yeah, I really have... but how did you know?"

"Reshiram and Zekrom contacted me," Mew replied. "I want to congratulate you on saving _yet another_ PokePark!"

Pikachu scratched the back of his head, giving an embarrassed chuckle. "Thanks..."

"I have to admit, when I chose _you_ to save my PokePark, I had no idea that you'd save _another_ one a few months later!"

Pikachu lowered his paw, intrigued. "You didn't?"

"Nope! Looks like I really _did_ make the right choice, then, doesn't it?"

"Heh, well..."

"You've done a wonderful job, Pikachu..." Celebi said, "in _both_ PokeParks."

"No doubt!" Mew agreed. "Who knew you could do so much! At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you saved the entire _world_!"

Pikachu blushed. "Oh, stop..." he said.

Mew giggled. "It's true, though!" He paused. "Hey... I never told the story of _why_ I picked you to save the PokePark, did I?"

"... Not really... although I always thought that was just random..."

"Nope! I personally scouted you out!"

Pikachu was overwhelmed. "Wow..."

"Well, I guess I might as well tell you, then! Get yourself comfortable!"

"Okay..." Pikachu sat down, giving Mew his full attention.

"When the Sky Prism broke apart into the Sky Pieces and fell to Earth, I knew I needed someone with boundless friendship to fix it again!"

"Boundless friendship?"

"Uh-huh! I would have done this task myself, but, unfortunately, I didn't have what it takes to do it... so, instead, I checked the friendship levels of each and every Pokemon in the PokePark!"

"... Friendship levels?"

"Yep! I can use my psychic powers to read deep into your soul and gauge your friendship level. It shows up as a light... and the brighter the light, the more powerful the friendship level is!"

"Wow..."

"It turned out that no Pokemon had anywhere _close_ to the level I needed to fix the Sky Prism... especially since a lot of the Pokemon had fallen out with each other at the time."

"Yeah..."

"So I decided to travel across dimensions... and see if I could find a Pokemon who fit the criteria _there_!"

Pikachu's eyes widened. "And...?"

"Yes! That's when I encountered _you_ and your friends! I saw the four of you just playing happily on the outskirts of a town... and I checked your friendship levels on a whim. Your friends' were mediocre at best, but yours! The light that emanated from you almost _blinded_ me, it was so bright!"

"R... Really?"

"Yep! It was at that moment that I knew _you_ were the one destined to save the PokePark."

"... Wow..."

"I was originally planning to coax you into the portal of your own free will... but then Piplup knocked you in anyway, by accident!" Mew giggled.

Celebi chuckled. "Such a clumsy penguin," she said.

"And look at you _now_! Who knew that you'd save not one, but _two_ PokeParks!"

Pikachu chuckled bashfully. "Yeah..." he replied.

"You are truly a force to be reckoned with," Celebi said.

"Yeah!" Mew added. "You're amazing, Pikachu!"

"Oh, stop it, you guys..." Pikachu replied.

Mew giggled. He then paused. "Oh! By the way! I don't know if you know, but I saw Buneary recently!"

Pikachu immediately perked up and smiled. "You did?"

"Yep! She came to play with me in the Sky Pavilion!"

Pikachu paused a moment to register this comment. Buneary, who was afraid of heights - not to mention had no balloon, because he and Piplup had it - had been to the Sky Pavilion?

"Wait... _what_?"

"That's right! She came riding up, on Latias' back! It was quite a sight!" Wide-eyed, Pikachu blinked stupidly at Mew. "She told me she's been on an adventure the last two months. How cool! She said she's befriended a lot of Pokemon and done and seen so many awesome things!"

This revelation touched Pikachu's heart. His smile turned tender at the thought of Buneary conquering her fear of the unknown. "Wow..."

"She was your mate, wasn't she?"

"Yeah..."

"... You must miss her, huh?"

"Yeah, I do... though I'm needed _here_ a few more days..." He paused. "I wish I could see her..."

Mew and Celebi exchanged a glance, then Mew smiled at Pikachu. "Well, there is _something_ I can do!"

"Huh?"

Mew closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, he started glowing blue. Pikachu was about to ask what he was doing when a field of Gracidea Flowers underneath a bright blue sky appeared before him. His eyes widened at the Pokemon that was picking and sniffing the flowers.

He immediately jumped to his feet, a huge smile on his face. "Buneary!" She glanced upwards a fraction, looking confused. After a moment, she shrugged and went back to picking flowers. His smile dropped in confusion. "Buneary?" He walked forwards a few steps and bumped into something. "Oof! What the...?" He placed his paws on what appeared to be an invisible wall. "Buneary!"

"She... can't hear you."

Pikachu looked at Mew, his paws still on the wall. "What?"

"She can only hear the whispers of your voice on the wind... so quiet that they _could_ be her imagination."

Pikachu started getting desperate. "But... why?" He turned back to Buneary. "Why can't she hear me?"

"For a start, that isn't really Buneary... it's her dream self."

"So, I'm looking at Buneary's dream right now?"

"That's right."

"Then... why can't you connect our dreams, so we can talk to each other?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have that power... I can enter dreams and I can allow Pokemon to view _another_ Pokemon's dreams... but I've yet to learn how to _connect_ dreams... I hope to learn, one day."

"But..."

"Dreams are more Darkrai's field than mine, I'm afraid..."

"Yes..." Celebi agreed, "although _he_ prefers to use that power to prank others with nightmares... At least, the one in _our_ PokePark does..."

Pikachu looked sadly out of the wall at his mate, who was now chatting happily to Shaymin.

"What about Shaymin?" he asked. "Can _she_ see us?"

"I'm afraid not," Mew replied. "If it was the _real_ Shaymin, then she'd be able to, but _this_ version was created by Buneary's imagination."

"Oh..."

There was a pause.

"Don't worry, Pikachu..." Celebi said, "you'll see your mate again soon. Just finish up your business _here_ and she'll be happy to welcome you with open arms. She's currently waiting for you in the Meadow Zone."

This piece of information managed to give Pikachu strength. "Okay..." He pressed his forehead against the wall. "I'll do my best _here_ and get back to her... as fast as I can..."

"That's the spirit!" Mew replied. "I'm sure she'll have plenty of stories to tell you! Like how she has a rabid fear of Primeape now!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah..."

"Well, good luck, Pikachu," Celebi said.

"Yeah!" Mew added. "We look forward to playing with you again!"

"Indeed we do."

Pikachu finally managed to pry himself away from the wall to smile at the two psychic-types. "Yeah..." he replied, "see you soon, guys."

"Bye!" they both replied before Pikachu's world faded to black.


	3. Attempts

Author's note: Hi, everyone! Tis nice to be back.

In the time I've not been writing this fic, I've actually come up with a sequel. Yes, another sequel. XD The plotline is very different from both 'From The Heart' _and_ 'From The Expert'... and I'd be excited to write it if you'd be excited to read it. Lemme know your thoughts on that, okay?

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!

EDIT: I altered the battle scene, in order to stay consistent with 'From The Heart'. Now the Pokemon are back to yelling out their attacks. Lol.

* * *

**Chapter Three****: Attempts**

The following day, Oshawott had told the others to go off and do their own thing, while he and Pikachu got to work on their 'personal mission'. Piplup and Snivy had complied without much fuss, though it had taken a bit more effort to convince Tepig. He'd even threatened to ask Samurott about the mission, which had led Oshawott into a panic. Eventually, though, the otter had managed to convince him and the pig had agreed to leave them alone.

Currently, Snivy was playing chase with one of the Pidove, Tepig was having a two-on-one battle with Krokorok and Sandile and Piplup was watching the three Maractus dance by the ocean. Oshawott had taken this opportunity to pull Pikachu into a quiet area of the beach.

"Alright, Pikachu!" he said. "It's time to work your magic! Tell me how I can win over Snivy."

"Yeah, okay..." Pikachu replied, "but... just because these things worked with Buneary, it doesn't mean they'll work with Snivy..."

"Oh, pshaw. I'm sure they'll work fine! I trust you, Pikachu!"

"Well, if you're sure..."

"Of course I'm sure! Where better to get advice than from the expert, right? Plus, you're my friend."

"Well, alright..." Pikachu paused for thought. "Well... the first thing I did with Buneary was bring her flowers every day."

"Flowers?" Oshawott paused, then smiled. "Well, that's easy, then! I know just to place to get flowers!"

"You do?"

"Yep!" Oshawott pointed down the beach. "Over by the fountain!"

"Oh yeah." Pikachu paused. "I always thought the ones by the lighthouse were nicer."

"Yeah, well, those flowers are in pots. It wouldn't feel right taking them."

"Oh, okay... well, what about the ones in the alcove?"

"Don't be silly, those are way too high up! Snivy would have to winch us up there and that's hardly romantic... making her do all the work for her own flowers. No. We need only walk over _there_!" He strode over to the flowers that were opposite the fountain, a huge grin on his face. "Come, Pikachu! We have a snake to court!"

"Uh, sure..." Pikachu followed behind him.

* * *

After picking several white and red flowers and arranging them into a bouquet, Oshawott took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to make his move.

"Alright, Pikachu..." he said, "it's time to do this."

"Good luck!" Pikachu replied, backing away.

Oshawott turned to him. "Ohhh, no. You are not leaving me to do this alone. You're coming with me!"

Pikachu blinked. "I am?"

"Darn right you are! Now, come on."

"Well, okay..."

He could probably handle courting Snivy on his own - no, he most _certainly_ could!_ -_ though it didn't hurt to have Pikachu around, just for back-up... Confidently, he strode up to Snivy, Pikachu hot on his heels. The grass snake was currently having a conversation with Emolga, though, as soon as the electric/flying-type spotted them, he smiled brightly.

"Hey, Shining Power Pals!" he said. "I was just asking Snivy if she wanted to play hide-and-seek!"

"In a minute, Emolga," Oshawott said. "We need to talk to her for a sec."

"Oh, okay! I'll be over by the fountain, Snivy!" He ran off on all fours.

"So, how's the 'personal mission' going?" Snivy asked.

"Great, actually!" Oshawott replied.

"Oh, good." She glanced at the bouquet, then pointed at it. "Is _this_ part of the mission, too?"

Oshawott's heart rate doubled in fear. She couldn't find out about that! Not yet! "Uh..." He looked at Pikachu for help. "It..." Pikachu looked worried, too. Looking back at Snivy, he worked his brain furiously to come up with a response. "It _was_! But... it's not needed anymore! So, I thought _you_ might as well have it!" He paused, then held it out to her. "Here!"

She blinked, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Me? What for?"

"Well... girls like flowers, right? And... you're a girl... so here!" He grinned.

Her eyebrow stayed in its raised position as she took the flowers from him. "Uh, thanks... though you _do_ know I'm not really into flowers, right?"

Oshawott's grin slid off his face. "You're not?"

"Not really." She relaxed her expression. "I _grew up_ around flowers... and they got kind of boring to look at, after a while. That's why it was so nice to go on an adventure with you guys." She shrugged. "I got to see something other than plants and flowers."

"... I see."

"Thanks, though, I guess." She walked off in the direction that Emolga had gone.

After a few moments, Oshawott turned to give Pikachu a panicked look. "That didn't work! You told me that would work!"

Pikachu took a step back. "N-No, I didn't! I only suggested it!"

"Argh!" Oshawott frowned. "Well, one little setback isn't gonna stop me! We're gonna keep at it, until it works!" He grabbed Pikachu's shoulders. "Now, what else did you try?"

"Uh... let's see..." Pikachu thought for a long moment. "Well, I remember beating Torterra in a battle... That seemed to really impress Buneary."

Oshawott blinked. "Torterra?"

"Yeah." Pikachu smiled in embarrassment. "He was the toughest Pokémon in the Meadow Zone, so she was pretty impressed when I beat him."

"... Is that so?" Oshawott let go of Pikachu's shoulders and looked into the distance at Snivy.

Pikachu blinked. "Oshawott?"

"That sounds like a _great_ idea!" Oshawott turned back to Pikachu, his eyes sparkling. "If I can impress Snivy with my battling skills, then I'll be one step closer to completing the mission!"

"Okay, so... who are you gonna battle?"

Oshawott paused, then folded his arms in thought. "Hmm... well, no one in Seasong Beach is really all that strong..."

"... You could always battle Samurott."

Oshawott widened his eyes. "Battle _Samurott_?" He paused. "Well, I _could_, but I wanna fight a battle I know I can win! 'Cause what if I battle him and _lose_? That won't look impressive at _all_!"

"Oh, I see."

The otter gave a determined nod. "No, there's nothing else for it. We'll just have to go elsewhere!"

"Elsewhere?"

"Yes." He turned around. "Shining Power Pals! Assemble!"

Snivy and Tepig gave him curious looks, then came running over. Tepig was wearing some shades that he'd, no doubt, gotten from Krokorok.

"What is it?" Snivy asked. "I'm in the middle of a game of hide-and-seek."

"Yeah!" Tepig agreed. "And I was about to ask Axew to play chase with me!"

"Worry about that later," Oshawott replied. "We're off to Cove Town!"

"... Cove Town?" Snivy asked. "What on Earth for?"

"Is this more personal mission stuff?" Tepig asked.

"Yes," Oshawott replied. "Now, come, teammates! We have a Drifblim to catch!"

Snivy sighed, then turned around. "You win _this_ round, Emolga!" she called out.

"Yay!" Emolga called back from somewhere.

* * *

Once the group landed in Cove Town, Oshawott looked around for the meanest-looking Pokémon he could find. He could always battle Pansage, Pansear and Panpour, but they weren't nearly intimidating enough. He could take on one of the three Corphish, but they weren't all that strong. Plus, he didn't feel like being assaulted by Bubble attacks just from going down into that creepy waterway.

After a moment, he suddenly remembered something and a smile spread across his face. He knew just where to go for an intimidating Pokémon.

"Alright, troops!" he called out. "Follow me!" He set off running.

Fairly soon, Pikachu caught up to him and Snivy even passed him. He couldn't see Tepig, but he knew he was there somewhere. In no time at all, he stopped at the intersection to the Tech Area, the Arbor Area and the Crag Area.

"Well, if it ain't the Shining Power Pals!" Krookodile said, strolling over.

With a confident smile, Oshawott strode over, until he was right in front of Krookodile. The crocodile loomed over him at over twice his height. Perfect.

"Krookodile!" he said, pulling his scalchop off his chest and waving it around. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"Oh, ya _do_, do ya? Well, alright, then!"

"Is this part of the mission?" Tepig asked.

"Indeed, it is!" Oshawott replied, placing his scalchop back on his chest.

"... Strange mission..." Snivy said.

"Good luck, Oshawott!" Pikachu said.

Oshawott grinned, knowing that that 'good luck' had been for more than just the battle.

"Let's go, already!" Krookodile said, putting some space between himself and Oshawott.

Pikachu, Snivy and Tepig all moved out of the way, but stayed close enough to watch the fight.

"Ready?" Oshawott asked.

Krookodile nodded. "All set!"

"Three... two... one... go!"

Immediately, Krookodile charged forwards. "Crunch!" He attempted to bite down on Oshawott, but the otter quickly dodged out of the way.

Immediately, Oshawott charged up, then fired a stream of water into Krookodile's face. "Water Gun!"

Krookodile recoiled. "Ack!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Oshawott began to run around Krookodile. After a moment, the crocodile attacked again.

"Crunch!" He chomped down, barely missing the otter. Smirking, Oshawott deliberately ran too close, then moved away again. "Earthquake!"

Krookodile stomped his foot on the ground, but the range of the attack wasn't large enough to reach Oshawott. He had this in the bag. Pulling his scalchop from his chest, he threw it in a circular motion.

"Razor Shell!"

"Ack!" Krookodile fell onto his back.

Oshawott skidded to a stop, catching his scalchop and placing it back on his chest. "Did I win?"

"Ugh... ow... Yeah... yeah, you won..."

Oshawott grinned, pumping his paw in the air. "Woo-hoo!"

"Heh... I should ask Audino to fix me up..."

Oshawott ran over to his friends, did a victory spin and posed in front of them. He then grabbed Tepig's shades and put them on himself. "How was _that_? Pretty cool, huh, Snivy?"

Snivy raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Not really," she replied.

His smirk dropped. "Huh?"

"I coulda beaten him just as easily."

"Oh... well..."

Tepig tilted his head. "Whatever this mission is, it's a weird one," he said. "Are you sure I can't ask Samurott about it?"

"No! You'll find out eventually, I just... need to keep it secret for now."

Snivy shrugged. "Whatever," she said.

"... Can I have my shades back now?" Tepig asked. Wordlessly, Oshawott took them off and put them back on the pig's face. "Thanks!"

"Well," Snivy said, "after that, I feel like playing Espeon's obstacle course. See you guys later." She dashed off.

"Yeah and I'm gonna go play chase with the Minccino! See ya!" Tepig dashed off.

"... Huh..." Oshawott said, "that didn't go so well..."

"Probably 'cause you had a type advantage..." Pikachu replied, "as did Snivy... That can't have helped."

"Oh, hush."

"... You probably _should_ have battled Samurott..."

"I said, hush!" Oshawott balled his paw. "This will not discourage me! I will not allow this mission to fail! One way or another, I am going to make this happen!"

"Well, good!"

"Hmph. 'Not good enough', was it? Well, I'll show _her_..." He turned to Pikachu with a determined frown. "Pikachu! It's time to kick it up a notch! We're gonna try again, but, this time... we're gonna kick it into overdrive!"

Pikachu's eyes widened slightly. "You're gonna take on Reshiram and Zekrom?"

Oshawott flailed his arms in panic. "What? Gosh, no! Don't get ahead of yourself!" He calmed down. "No... what I'll do is take on someone really tough. Not impossible, just really tough... Someone who'll make me look really impressive..."

"Darkrai?"

"Ack! No! I don't feel like fighting _that_ guy again..."

Pikachu tilted his head. "Well, who?"

Oshawott closed his eyes in deep thought. After a few long moments, he remembered something and his eyes snapped open. He held that expression for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "I know just the Pokémon..."


End file.
